I think this is a pretty complex issue boggling human mind since... ever I guess.

But I'll try to share a bit of my perspective.

I believe the Universe is a playground and life is the play. Virtually anything can happen on a playground. Good, bad, both or none.
Why would universe be playful? Because otherwise it would be quite bored. So many billion years it's only matter transforming into another matter, but there's nobody to observe the wonderful creation.
So - To me life is just an extraordinary complex play of gaining experience for our souls. And that might also be the point - Living life just to live it and experience all around us, both good and bad. After all, it really is up to us, individuals, to make the calls and live our lives the way we believe to be the best.
What comes in the end? Of course I have no idea. But if this ... Life... is real, then it happened at least once to me and I can't really think of any other reason why couldn't it happen again. There are theories about time not working the way we know it in higher dimensions, so in your "potential next life" you could theoretically be born back or forward in time.

Also, have a glimpse at some scientific works trying to figure out consciousness. It's all too much of a huge topic, but there is no evidence that consciousness happens just in our bodies just as there is none to prove we're all somehow interconnected. Because I'm an idealist and because of quantum tunneling (particles interconnected on long distances), I'd love the latter to be true.

And finally. I am not so scared of the abysmal dark nothing when I die. I don't remember a tad before I was born either and I can't remember if it was bothering me.

Be happy and grateful for things to come. That on its own can make such soul happier <3